


Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition

by TempestHeart



Series: Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Almost Dying, Alternate Universe - Human, Angel Sam, Angel Sam Winchester, Angst, Gen, Grim Reapers, Guardian Angels, Human Gabriel, Loss of Faith, Otherwise Gen, Reapers, Role Reversal, Slash if You Wear Those Goggles, War, World War II, reverse verse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-22
Updated: 2014-04-22
Packaged: 2018-01-20 10:57:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1508009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TempestHeart/pseuds/TempestHeart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gabriel is a soldier who loses his faith. Sam is the angel who restores it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a Tumblr post and the fact that Richard Speight Jr played a part in Band of Brothers, but this took a whole other direction than the Tumblr post.
> 
> If you haven't seen Band of Brothers already, do it. Richard Speight Jr is great in it and I promise it is a series worth your time. 
> 
> Title from actual WWII song Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition, written by Frank Loesser in 1942. If you want to listen to it, here is a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJfJPxLntZU That version is recorded by Kay Kayser & HIs Orchestra. 
> 
> Sammael is in some faiths believed to be the Angel of Death. He is also seen as both dark and light within some faiths. Kinda fitting for Sam, don't you think?

The cold penetrates everything. There has been nothing but an increasing numbness in his body for longer than Gabriel cares to remember. He used to long for the hot summer days in Nashville, sitting on his father’s porch and drinking fresh lemonade in the evening sun. Now Gabriel has no illusions. This war will swallow him and all he is whole. He will not make it out alive. Not many remains of his company, and each day their numbers dwindle. The Germans backs them further and further into a desperate last hold and Gabriel is no fool. No matter what the higher ups are saying, it is obvious that relief is not coming. There are no miracles for them. Gabriel knows, because he has prayed for miracles ever since he was drafted in the first place. No one has answered his desperate prayers and no one will. 

If Gabriel ever gets home, he has no idea how he will be able to keep listening to his father’s sermons. He does not know if he will be able to even set foot inside a church again. Gabriel has always been devout. Growing up he loved to spend his days at church, listening to his father’s sermons. Gabriel loves his father and adores him. He thinks he will be unable to look his beloved father in the eye if he ever manages to make it home. How is Gabriel supposed to tell him that he has lost faith, that during the darkest hour, Gabriel has abandoned God? Gabriel’s shame courses through him every time he thinks of his lost faith. But he has no idea how he can hang on to it when every day seems darker than the last and no relief is in sight.

Gabriel tucks his coat closer to his body. He sighs and looks up at the dark night sky. He wonders if the original Gabriel ever lost faith. He does not think so. The messenger of God is probably as infallible as God himself. 

The whining sound of bullets interrupts Gabriel’s quiet thoughts. He grips his rifle tighter as the sky lights up with explosions. He tries to make sense of the sounds and screams to pinpoint where the fire is coming from, but it is difficult over the sound of dying soldiers and continued fire from both sides. 

He sees where the others are running though. He moves as fast as he can, jumping up from his foxhole and heads for the next. He forgets all his aches as the adrenaline kicks in and his heart beats loudly in his ears. He leaps down into the next foxhole just as the ground beside him erupts as a grenade explodes. The ringing in his ears make him lose momentum but he tries to recover as quickly as he can. Here, in hell on Earth, a few seconds can save your life for another day.

He sees a couple German soldiers trying to get close to him. Gabriel takes aim and fires without a second thought. He hates this part, he really do. The Ten Commandments are deeply ingrained in him and you shall not kill is definitely one that Gabriel wants to honor. But there is no honor in war. There is only kill or be killed. He manages to take down the two soldiers and he uses the opportunity to move forward to another foxhole. He tries not to dwell on the blank faces and bloodied bodies of the young German soldiers he just robbed of their lives. He is largely unsuccessful. If he ever gets home from the war, he will probably drink himself to death. 

The explosions and the screams intensify. Gabriel has no idea what is going on around him anymore. He tries to look around for other Americans but he sees none. He hears it too late. The cocking of a gun and Gabriel does not even manage to turn halfway around when he is hit. First in the leg and when he manages to turn around, in the stomach. 

Suddenly the world is in slow motion. Gabriel feels the impact, he looks down and sees the blood pouring from his stomach and he feels the pain in his leg. Slowly he falls to his knees as he tries to keep pressure on the wound in his stomach. The one in his leg he cannot really reach. Intellectually he knows that he is dying and he kind of wants to welcome the relief of oblivion. But the fear of the unknown has him trying to stop the bleeding and cling desperately to this life. Even if this life is hell. 

It does not take long for him to slide fully to the ground. He has no strength left in his body, it all seeps out of him with the blood that is still spilling from his stomach. The pain gets worse and worse, and so does the cold. He wants to close his eyes, but fights against it as much as he can. 

Suddenly, there is a man standing above him. Gabriel peers at him and tries to make sense of him. It is hard, because the man is not dressed for the battlefield. Gabriel does not think he has seen anyone not in army greens in months. The man in question is wearing a pristine black suit and in his hand is some kind of blade that Gabriel has never seen before. He is tall, and his hair is way too long to be regulation. 

The pain makes itself known again and Gabriel gasps. He does not know how much longer he can hold out. He tries to say something, but it all comes out as unintelligible babble. But it does get the attention of the strange man.

“Gabriel.” He says with a reassuring smile. “Do not worry, it is not your time yet.” 

Gabriel understands even less. His brain seems to be unable to come up with any reason for this man to know his name. Gabriel is certain he has never seen him in his life.

“Gabriel.” The man says again. “God has heard your prayers.” 

Gabriel wants to laugh. God has abandoned him a long time ago. He has abandoned God in return, and he knows it. With everything he has seen since he came to Europe, Gabriel finds it hard to believe that God cares. Or that God actually exists. He remembers when he was certain of God’s existence. He longs for those days of innocence. 

“It is not so.” The man says, voice full of reproach. “God has sent me to watch over you. My name is Sammael, you may call me Sam. I am an angel of the Lord.” Gigantic brown and gold colored wings fan out from his back and Gabriel gasps in awe, not pain. He is pretty sure he is hallucinating and he is impressed by his brain’s creativity in his final moments. 

“I am real.” Sam says with a small smile. His smile quickly turns into a frown and he brandishes his sword. Suddenly several other odd looking men in suits are surrounding them. They all look serious and their faces are gaunt like they have been starved. 

“Angel.” One of them says gravely.

Sammael bows his head slightly. “I am Sammael. I am on a mission from God. You shall not take this man.” 

The other man tilts his head and appears to be confused. “It is his time. He can see us, he is dying.” 

Gabriel feels like the conversation goes so far above his head that they might as well be speaking Greek. He has no idea where he comes up with this stuff. He is still confused and certain that he is hallucinating people, just so that he will not have to die as alone and abandoned as he feels.

“I will say it again. He is not passing on yet.” Sam says. “Now leave, Reaper.” There is a tone of finality in his voice, but also a hint of warning. 

The other men look at him. “Angel. Not even you can stop Death.” The one that has spoken prior says again. 

Sam shakes his head. “I know. But I can stop you.” 

The reapers close in, all of them with their hands outstretched towards Gabriel. He tries to move but he has lost all strength. He can only uselessly watch as the men moves closer. Sam, on the other hand, is anything but useless. He moves as quickly as lightning, slicing at the approaching reapers with his blade. The reapers hiss and back away as Sam gets to all of them within a matter of seconds. 

“I will say it once again. Leave.” Sam looks calm, but there is a fire in his eyes and he is still holding his weapon at the ready.

The reapers look at each other for a few seconds. The one that has spoken before talks again. “We will leave. Death himself will come for him.”

Sam shakes his head. “When his time comes, I shall guide him.” 

The reapers look at him. “Angel of Death. That is not your purpose.” 

Sam shrugs. “It is now.” 

The reapers do not say anything else, instead they leave quietly. Sam turns and smiles at Gabriel. 

“Do you hear that, Gabriel?” He says with a smile.

Gabriel has no idea what he is supposed to be hearing. The sounds of the world have faded already and Gabriel does not even hear the drum like beat of his heart in his ears anymore. Sam smiles gently as they are surrounded by medics and Gabriel is pulled up from the foxhole. His eyes does not leave Sam’s as he is carried away.

“I will see you again soon, Gabriel.” Sam says before Gabriel absolutely cannot keep his eyes open anymore. Everything turns black. 

…

Gabriel wakes up in a hospital bed. He did not expect to wake up at all, despite how Sam had reassured him that he would make it. He sighs as he looks down to his bandaged chest and leg in a cast. Everything hurts and breathing is painful. A nurse comes by and gives him something to sleep on. It is all blurry for a while. 

It takes a couple of days for him to be able to stay awake for long. A doctor comes by and tells him that he is done. That he is going home and probably will not be sent back. Gabriel knows what is waiting. A Purple Heart and drowning himself in whiskey and regret. 

He tries not to dwell on what he thought was his final moments. He is not fully convinced that it was not his brain that came up with Sam and the reapers, but he still thanks God for his life. He has found at least some faith again. He starts praying again.  
He usually wakes up at night from nightmares. The field hospital is no good place for restful sleep. This night is no different. He is lying awake staring into nothing, when another bed is rolled into his room. The nurse who sees that he is awake explains that the other rooms are full and that the other soldier, just like Gabriel, is waiting for transport back home. 

Gabriel shrugs and nods at the information. He tries to close his eyes, but his curiosity gets the better of him. He looks over to the other bed, but in the darkened room it is impossible to see what could possibly ail the other man. 

“Gabriel.” The soldier suddenly says. 

Gabriel freezes. He knows that voice. 

“Gabriel.” Sam says again. “I told you I would see you again soon.” 

“I- I-… how?” Gabriel has no idea what he really wants to ask. He has no idea how the soldier in the other bed is Sam, but he knows that he is. Sam, the angel of the Lord is in this very room. Sam, who protected Gabriel and saved his life. Gabriel gives silent thanks to God, yet again.

Sam laughs quietly. “With God, nothing is impossible.” 

Gabriel believes him.


End file.
